The present invention relates to the field of horseback riding, in particular as to accessories for the practice of horseback riding and more particularly as to stirrups.
In horseback riding, the rider is subjected, at each stride and each jump of his mount, to the movements of his horse. The pressure exerted by the movement of the horse on the rider can be broken down into a vertical component and a horizontal component of pressure.
To adsorb the different components as well as the resultant, the rider smooths out the movements of the horse with his hips and his ankles when seated and with his knees and his ankles when jumping. When clearing an obstacle in the course of a jump, the contact of the pelvis of the rider with the saddle is avoided, the only thing bearing the rider being the stirrups. As a result, the stability of the rider and the precision of jumping are directly dependent on the quality of these latter.
There are known at present, in this field, two types of stirrups, namely fixed stirrups and articulated stirrups.
In the first category, the rigidity of the stirrup does not permit any shock absorption. At best, the work of the ankle is made more easy by an inclined stirrup tread.
In the second category of articulated stirrups, there can be cited those which have articulated branches ensleeved in rubber to give a certain spring effect. The downward pressure of the ankle of the rider is then facilitated and a slight shock absorbing effect absorbs minor shocks as well as a small portion of the amplitude of the more important shocks. However, the articulation of this type of stirrup, which is located on the two branches, has a tendency mechanically to push the tread of the stirrup and hence the leg of the rider forwardly, in a relatively large way, which is very unfavorable for his stability as well as for the precision of jumping.
In stirrups with articulated pads or treads, the ankle works without advancing the leg. However, the tread of this type of stirrup always ends up in rigid abutment, which again renders the stirrup fixed and hence the mechanism completely inoperative. Moreover, in certain versions, the tread swings as easily forwardly as rearwardly, which results in the stirrup having the reverse of the desired stabilization effect.
Finally, there exist stirrups whose tread pivots only to one side, the movement of the tread being returned by a spring mechanism. The pivotal movement of these treads is also limited by an abutment on the side toward which the tread swings, which again decreases its interest. This type of tread even has the tendency, by the return effect of the spring mechanism, to press the foot of the rider in an undesirable direction, or to do likewise such that the tread comes into poor orientation relative to the sole of the foot of the rider when the contact of the tread with the foot is interrupted during a short period during which the spring returns the tread to the horizontal position. These phenomena have therefore a tendency to destabilize the rider instead of giving him increased control and safety.
Moreover, this type of stirrup is up to 75% heavier than a conventional non-articulated stirrup and therefore requires a certain period of adaptation on the part of the rider. Finally, these stirrups are also more cumbersome than conventional stirrups.
From the above, it follows that none of the known stirrups takes account of the vertical pressure of the rider, nor of the work of the knees of this latter.
The present invention has for its object to overcome at least certain of these drawbacks.
To this end, it has for its object a stirrup for horseback riding, formed by two branches connected to the ends of a bearing support (tread) for the foot of the rider mounted pivotably about an axle connecting the two branches, characterized in that said bearing support is also mounted for vertical or substantially vertical displacement relative to said branches of the stirrup.
This stirrup absorbs the principal shocks without offering rigid resistance. The tread of the stirrup slides vertically without advancing. The stirrup of the present invention thus promotes the inclination of the bearing support (tread) from the good side and maintains the leg in place. The resilient suspension means with which the stirrup of the present invention is provided, absorbs the enormous shocks created by the striking and landing while jumping obstacles.